A BBC spokesperson said, "From 'Call the Midwife' to 'Birdsong' and 'The Syndicate,' 2012 has been a great year for original British drama on BBC1 but at this stage there are no plans for 'Upstairs Downstairs' to return."

The series, which originally ran from 1971 to 1975, was revived in 2010. While the first episode of the new run — which starred Keeley Hawes and Ed Stoppard — drew 8.8 million viewers, the audience dwindled to 5.2 million by its final episode.

"Upstairs Downstairs" might not be completely down for the count, however; fans have set up a Twitter petition in an effort to persuade the BBC to change its mind. So far, though, the petition has only collected a just more than 200 signatures.